1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to pet containers and more particularly to arrangements for easily permitting house pets such as cats to enjoy fresh air outdoors while protected in a bin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Window containers for securing pets are well known. These include external boxes permanently removably attached to houses and between which cats may travel. Also, the mounting of air conditioners in windows is well known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,202 of Bradford discloses a window pet porch open to the outside, including a caged bin assembly held in place by support hooks which extend over the window sill.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,457 of Namanny describes a pet enclosure opened to the outside, to be mounted to a window sill by locking brackets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,031 of Williams describes a flat perch for a cat to sit on inside a closed window. It does not disclose a bin openable to the exterior.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,459 of Julie describes a pet enclosure bin opened to the outside, which is held in place at a window sill by a pair of brackets and an exterior brace which touches the outside wall. The walls are cage-like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,758 of Pfriender discloses a pyramid shaped animal container which includes a flat perch on top for an animal to sit on to look outside through a closed window. It does not disclose a bin with an exposure to the outside.
Of these issued patents, the Bradford, Namanny and Julie patents all disclose a pet enclosure bin with cage-like walls which is held outside of a window over a window sill. However, the prior art patents each include an impediment preventing the user from fully closing the window when the bins are placed in the window opening. For example, the Bradford and Julie Patents disclose C-shaped hooks which interfere with the complete closure of the window.
None of these three patents disclose a fastener such as a slidable expandable portion of the cage, or a dowel with pipe type fasteners.
In other words the significant distinguishing feature between the present invention and the bins of the Bradford, Namanny or Julie patents is the way that the enclosure bin is mounted to the window sill, and how the bin may expand in size.